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ISO 14067
CARBON FOOTPRINT OF PRODUCTS:
Future Challenges
TOPICS
 Background to ISO 14067
 What is ISO 14067
 Future Challenges
BACKGROUND TO ISO 14067
 The concept of Carbon Footprint (CF) stems directly from the theory of
CLIMATE CHANGE and related Anthropogenic Green House Gases (GHG)
Emissions/Removals.
 This theory introduces a new dimension to environmental
production concerns.
and cleaner
 On top of air & water pollution, soil degradation, bio-diversity loss, resources
depletion, energy supply crises and other environmental headaches, humanity
is now facing a new threat which is by far the most terrible if Climate Change
theory proves to be correct.
BACKGROUND TO ISO 14067
 The fundamental difference between GHG and other pollution vectors dealt with
in cleaner production mechanisms are two;
1.
GHG are locally emitted but have a global impact, therefore imposing a de facto interlinkage between nations.
2.
Most GHG do not affect directly human health and have no immediate apparent
environmental degradation effects; Their rather disrupt on a global scale and over a
relatively long time span, the biosphere which sustains human life.
 The issue of GHG may thus profoundly impact international relations and the
existing economic order.
BACKGROUND TO ISO 14067

GHG consist of the following main individual or families of
gases included in the Kyoto protocol;
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
CO2 (Carbon Dioxide)
CH4 (Methane)
N2O (Nitrous Oxide)
Montreal protocol gases (CFC, HCFC, Halons, CCl4, ……)
Hydro-fluorocarbons (HFC 134a, …………)
Perfluorinated & Fluorinated compounds (CF4, SF6,,…………….)
BACKGROUND TO ISO 14067
CO2 is the most important GHG with an estimated
time
and
geographic
average
atmospheric
concentration of ~ 390 ppmv in 2011. Methane
concentration is around 1.8 ppmv while N2O is ~ 0.32
ppmv. Other GHG exist in much lower
concentrations
BACKGROUND TO ISO 14067

GHG are expressed as CO2 equivalent (CO2e) using weighting factors
called Global Warming Potentials (GWP) assessed over an impact period
of 100 years. Some examples of GWP100;
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
GWP100-CO2 = 1
GWP100-CH4 = 25
GWP100-N2O =298
GWP100-HFC134a = 1430
GWP100-SF6 = 22800

The Carbon Footprint of a Product (CFP) is the weighted sum of all GHG
Emitted or Removed over the life time of the product expressed as CO2e
CF = GHG1*GWP1 + GHG2*GWP2 + GHG3*GWP3 + GHG4*GWP4
+ GHG5*GWP5 + GHG6*GWP6 + …………........… = ……….gCO2e

It is possible to compute the CF of any human activity like: banks,
universities, manufacturing plants, a beverage can or ……….. a person.
BACKGROUND TO ISO 14067

In order to combat climate change and environmental degradation, some
countries are already taking steps to introduce environmental indicators on
products labels (e.g France, UK, Germany,………)

“POLLUTER PAYS” and “RESOURCES SQUANDERER PAYS” are the main
drivers behind these actions

CFP is the most important environmental indicator used on such labels.

Economic actors (Consumers, retailers, distributors, manufacturers,
importers,…….. ) will select products and services based not only on physical
quality and price but also based on “environmental quality”
BACKGROUND TO ISO 14067
BACKGROUND TO ISO 14067

In order to avoid haphazard GHG initiatives at the national level that may
lead to trade barriers, ISO standards addressing the quantification and
communication of the carbon footprint of products and organizations are
being currently developed.

One of the most important standard is ISO 14067 (Carbon Footprint of
Products) which addresses the CO2e emitted over the life cycle of a
product/service.
WHAT IS ISO 14067
WHAT IS ISO 14067

ISO 14067 details principles, requirements and guidelines for the
quantification and communication of the CFP (Goods and Services) over
the life cycle of the product from raw material acquisition to end of life
disposal.

The purpose of this standard is to harmonize between the different national
initiatives related to products and services aiming to limit the anthropogenic
GHG emissions and thus stabilize or reduce atmospheric GHG
concentration.

Without unifying standards , barriers to trade due to environmental
labeling will certainly arise.
WHAT IS ISO 14067

The CFP quantification methodology in ISO 14067 is based on Life Cycle Analysis.

The CFP could address all life stages of a product (raw material extraction stage,
production stage, use stage and end of life stage) or a partial treatment involving
one or more of these stages.

CFP communication types, methodologies and requirements, whether Business
to Business (B to B) or Business to Consumers (B to C), are clearly spelled out in
ISO 14067. Communication may take different forms like reporting, product
labeling, public information on a website, etc……

ISO 14067 implementation may lead to trade barriers, this is an issue being
currently hotly debated in the work group writing the standard. Developing
countries which have mostly carbon intensive economies (including Lebanon), do
have apprehensions regarding this issue.
WHAT IS ISO 14067
LIMITATIONS OF ISO 14067

ISO 14067 addresses a single impact category, namely climate change, it does
not take into account other environmental considerations like biodiversity
loss, habitat loss, overall eco-toxicity, water degradation, etc…...

The manufacturer of a product labeled according to ISO 14067 cannot claim
environmental superiority. Such claims are inaccurate and may lead to unfair
competition.

ISO 14067 has also other limitations related to CFP quantification, because
the theoretical tools related to GHG are not yet fully developed. It relies
heavily on the theoretical concepts developed in the first volume of the IPCC
reports.
WHAT IS ISO 14067
Despite these limitations, ISO 14067
will impact the markets in all
countries over the whole spectrum
of economic sectors on both the
supply and demand side.
To give an order of magnitude of its importance, ISO
14067 impact on the market is expected to be many
folds the impact of ISO 9001.
FUTURE CHALLENGES
FUTURE CHALLENGES

ISO 14067 will make out of Carbon Footprint a critical production parameter
exactly like labor cost, capital cost or raw materials cost. In the near future a
carbon footprint cost will need to be accounted for.

Exporting industries in Lebanon to developed countries will be the first to
experience the effect of ISO 14067. These industries need to drastically adapt
to CFP requirements or their exports to such countries may be seriously
curtailed.

Unfortunately some factors are not under the industry control like the
primary energy supply (electricity, type of fuels) and transportation
infrastructure; while an extra cost burden related to CFP
reporting/verification is to be accounted for.
FUTURE CHALLENGES

Low CF intensity industries will also have to adapt because their CFP
will be compared to similar industries abroad.

In a not so distant future, a low carbon footprint will be a prerequisite
for an industry survivability. Organizations that will not adapt will
most probably disappear.

Organizations in Lebanon should seize the opportunity of an early
warning because Lebanon is contributing to the preparation of ISO
14067.

This standard will not “fall on our heads” as a surprise. Hopefully the
manufacturing sector in Lebanon will heed the call.
Thank You